I spend a great amount of time educating diabetic patients in my
clinic about what constitutes a "diabetic" diet. They have had
diabetes for years but are still under the misconception that sugar
is the only thing they need to limit or avoid. I see the surprise
in their eyes when I explain how carbs can be just like eating a
sugar when their body breaks it down. We are an STD-HIV clinic, but
it's important to treat the whole patient, not just what they came
in to see you for that day. Take the time to speak to patients in
plain, understandable terms and more of them will comply. You can't
assume they "get it" unless you ask them to give you their take on
it..

william rone

11/22/13

This does not
surprise me, as I
have seen the same
types of problems in
Mississippi. I
think a better
indicator of high
HbA1c's and
ketoacidosis would
be uneducated
parent(s). My
spouse is a
Librarian at a
Middle School and
has told me numerous
tales of children,
whose parent(s) sent
the child to school
without insulin or a
BG test, expecting
the school nurse to
take care of it. Of
course most of these
children have poor
eating habits as
well and the school
Nurse typically
finds the students
BG's in the 300's or
higher when they get
to school.
My expertise on this
subject is primarily
due to being
diagnosed with Type
1 at age 10. My
Father was a Type 1
as well and my
Mother had a
post-graduate degree
in Home Economics.
I learned very
quickly what a Type
1 was expected to
do. My parents
helped me watch my
diet as well. I am
currently
approaching my 45th
year with Type 1 DM
The system has
failed to educate
both the Parent(s)
and the children and
the end result will
be excessive ER
visits and shortened
lifespans. I wish
there was something
that I could do..

Victor Ettinger

11/22/13

I'll bet dollars to doughnuts (whatever the heck that means) that the
majority of the black kids were obese and had likely type 2DM not type
1 or had 'Flatbush' diabetes. I'd like to know what % of these kids
had +GAD 65Ab. Very few I bet. I see this misdiagnosis all the time..

Ahmad Abbas

11/23/13

Is good to learn something freely.

Jennifer V., RD

11/24/13

The fact that health problems were more common for the children
without private insurance suggests that socioeconomic factors were
involved with the increased health risks but there might be other
differences between the groups. The average amounts of magnesium and
calcium reabsorbed by the kidneys might vary between different
racial groups.
"Hypomagnesemia may also occur following insulin therapy for
diabetic ketoacidosis and may be related to the anabolic effects of
insulin driving magnesium, along with potassium and phosphorus, back
into cells." The risk of hypomagnesemia was "25% in outpatients with
diabetes."
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2038394-overview#aw2aab6b2b3aa
Prevalance of hypomagnesemia was reported to occur in 13.5 to 47.7%
of type 2 diabetics in the article: "Hypomagnesemia in Patients with
Type 2 Diabetes," http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/2/2/366.full
Insulin or other medications for diabetes can't cure magnesium
deficiency but magnesium deficiency may make diabetes worse. It is
associated with poor glycemic control..

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